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Disney and Philosophy

Book Team — Mon, 23 Feb 2026 18:42:17 +0000

In Disney and Philosophy, essays from thirty-two deep-thinking Disneyphiles chart a course through the philosophical world of Disney, tapping into the minds of the great sages of the ages—Plato, Aristotle, Confucius, Descartes, and Goofy—to explore universal questions of freedom, personal identity, morality, family, and friendship:

Can Sleeping Beauty know that she’s not dreaming?
Does turning our emotions and memories “inside out” tell us who we are?
What can Toy Story and Wall-E teach us about being human?
Is hakuna matata really such a problem-free philosophy?

If you’ve ever asked who you are, what is right, or what your purpose is, Disney and Philosophy will spark your curiosity and imagination with a whole new world of unexpected insight into the Magic Kingdom.

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Black Sabbath and Philosophy

Book Team — Tue, 10 Jun 2025 13:57:13 +0000

Their songs confront existential despair, social instability, political corruption, the horrors of war, and the nature of evil. This book explores the wide range of profound ideas in the band’s music and lyrics to help you understand Black Sabbath as never before.

Discusses and debates essential Black Sabbath topics and themes, such as the problem of evil, “War Pigs” and the nature of just war theory, whether or not Sabbath is still Sabbath without Ozzy, and whether “evil is in the ear of the beholder”
Gives you new perspectives on Black Sabbath’s music and lyrics
Provides a deeper appreciation and understanding of Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, Bill Ward, and Ronnie James Dio
Brings some of history’s heaviest thinkers to bear on the band’s music, from Aristotle and Nietzsche to Schopenhauer and Marx

So . . . can you help me, occupy my brain? Yes! Start reading Black Sabbath and Philosophy.

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Spider-Man and Philosophy

Book Team — Tue, 05 Nov 2024 20:56:59 +0000

Through decades of web-slinging adventures in comics, television shows, movies, and even on Broadway, Spider-Man has become one of our most beloved and enduring superheroes. Peter’s the classic underdog, and like many of us, he’s learned to combat the evils in his life with abilities he didn’t realize he had. Spider-Man and Philosophy untangles the complex web of philosophical dilemmas of Spidey and his world with the help of some of history’s most powerful thinkers, including Plato, Aristotle, Hegel, and Kierkegaard. From the morality of the wall-crawler’s jokes to whether he can maintain both of his lives as Peter and as a costumed crusader, from Spider-Man’s struggle with infinite debt and guilt to what it takes to live a good life, you’ll gain fascinating insights that are as compelling as the Webbed Wonder’s ability to climb walls, swing down boulevards, and shoot web bullets at the bad guys.

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The Ultimate Star Wars and Philosophy

Logan — Thu, 02 May 2024 15:38:46 +0000

The Ultimate Star Wars and Philosophy presents an original set of expert essays by some of the brightest minds in the galaxy, exploring the deeper side of Star Wars and its Expanded Universe. There are new takes on familiar topics, like the nature of the Force – does it have to have a dark side? – and a feminist critique of the portrayal of women – what is the deeper meaning in being chained to a slug? We examine the philosophical significance behind the impact of Star Wars on the real world as an important artifact of pop culture, the legacy of Joseph Campbell on the saga’s mythical foundation, and offer a framework for understanding just what is “canonical” in Star Wars – giving fans good reason to assert once and for all that Han shot first.

The editors of the original Star Wars and Philosophy strike back in this Ultimate volume that encompasses the complete Star Wars universe:

Presents the most far-reaching examination of the philosophy behind Star Wars – includes coverage of the entire film catalogue to date as well as the Expanded Universe of novels, comics, television series, games and toys
Provides serious explorations into the deeper meaning of George Lucas’s philosophically rich creation
Topics explored include the moral code of bounty-hunter favorite Boba Fett, Stoicism and the Jedi Order, the nature of the Dark Side, Anakin and Achilles in a nihilism face-off, feminism and being chained to a giant slug, cloning, de-extinction, fatherhood, Wookiees, loyalty, betrayal, guardians, republics, tyrants, terrorism, civic duty, friendship, family, and more!

With the book you hold in your hands, the circle is now complete, and those who were once learners may start on the path toward becoming philosophical masters. May the Force be with you!

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Dune and Philosophy

Logan — Mon, 04 Mar 2024 01:21:20 +0000

Frank Herbert’s Dune saga is the epic story of Paul, son of Duke Leto Atreides, and heir to the massive fortune promised by the desert planet Arrakis and its vast reservoirs of a drug called “spice.” To control the spice, Paul and his mother Jessica, a devotee of the pseudo-religious Bene Gesserit order, must find their place in the culture of the desert-dwelling Fremen of Arrakis. Paul must contend with both the devious rival House Harkonnen and the gargantuan desert sandworms―the source of the spice. The future of the Imperium depends upon one young man who will need to lead a new jihad to control the universe.

Dune and Philosophy recruits 23 philosophers to sift wisdom from Frank Herbert’s Duniverse, including the first of an expected series of films following Paul “Muad’Dib” Atreides and his descendants, captivatingly brought to the big screen by Denis Villeneuve in 2021. Part of the New Wave of science fiction of the 60s and 70s, Dune is characterized by literary experimentation with shifting styles, differing narrative points of view, and with the “psychedelic” culture of the period. In Dune, the long-term strategies and intricate plots of warring Great Houses are driven not just by Heighliner spacecraft and lasguns, but also by mind-expanding drugs, psychic powers, dystopian themes, race memories, and martial arts allowing control of the mind and the body. Substantial yet accessible chapters address philosophical questions including:

Is it morally right to create a savior?
Would interplanetary travel change human nature?
What is the deeper meaning of desert ecologies?
In conflict, how can you stay light years ahead of your opponents?
Are there some drugs we would want to be addicted to?
Does history repeat itself?

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